206 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 



keep from giving way to my inclination to laugh again, as I 

 watched the various expressions of dread, mingled with the 

 most spasmodic efforts to express a courageous and devil-may- 

 care sort of air, which were becoming more and more forlorn 

 as we approached the scene of his apprehensions. 



We had not walked more than a few hundred yards, almost 

 immediately along the edge of the cliff, when he stopped, and 

 pointing ahead to a very large black oak tree that stood some- 

 what apart from the more stunted growth of the ridge, and 

 within a few feet of the precipitous verge we had been treading, 

 he said in a tremulous tone, — 



" Thar ! — that's the tree ! — wouldn't go any closer for a 

 kingdom !" 



" Well, Jabe, you'll wait here, won't you !" said I, as we 

 walked on. 



" 'Spose I will,— don't like it, though !" 



We laughed slightly as we looked back. 



The moment the tree had been pointed out to us, I had 

 remarked to Charlie, that I thought I recognized that tree ; 

 and when we reached it, judge our astonishment, to find it 

 was the very one from which we had shot the bear a few 

 hours before : and, on looking round, we perceived what had, 

 during the excitement of the chase and conquest, entirely 

 escaped our attention before, namely, that this was really the 

 largest tree in sight, and that it stood exactly on the highest 

 point of the ridge, and commanded a wider prospect than 

 was possible from any other spot. These observations inte- 

 rested us not a little, and I looked around curiously for traces 

 of the grave. Directly, Charlie uttered an exclamation. 



" Here it is ! I suppose this must be it — though it 's a droll 

 looking affair for a grave !" 



I stepped towards him and found him kneeling on the bluff- 

 side of the tree close to its roots, and peering between some 

 flat rocks which he had partly uncovered of the mould and 

 leaves. 



